The King's Mistake
by Lady Swathi
Summary: King Jon made a mistake and now all your favorite characters have to make things right again. THE FINAL CHAPTER HAS BEEN ADDED! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

The King's Mistake

  
  


A/N: Hope you like this chapter. This is our first fanfiction. Yay!! Please review!! BTW, thoughts are in italics. 

  
  


Disclaimer: None of this belongs to us- it all belongs to Tamora Pierce.

  
  


"Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith!" muttered the King under his breath so the commanders riding beside him would not hear. _How could I have been so stupid?_

The King and the First Company of the King's Own were riding back from the small town of Avesta after settling a dispute among the people there.

"We'll be arriving in Corus shortly," the commander nearest to Jonathan informed him. 

"Wonderful," he said putting on a fake smile. He let it fade as he turned away. _Alanna is going to kill me. Why couldn't she be back in Pirates Swoop when I arrive back?_ As the palace came into view, the ruler of Tortall thought to himself, _I'm usually so happy to be back at the palace, but now, I'm dreading it._

  
  


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"What's taking him so long?" Alanna grumbled, more to herself than the others in the room.

"I'm sure he'll be here any minute now," Raoul answered. Alanna continued pacing with her hands shoved in her pockets.

"I just hope he settled the dispute of Avesta, because we have enough to deal with now that Emperor Kaddar is coming."

_I'm not surprised that boy's still causing problems_, Numair irritably thought to himself. _I wonder what Daine-_

The King entered the room, cutting off the mage's thoughts.

"Finally, it's about time," Alanna muttered. Jon was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay attention to Alanna's complaints. 

"Oh, good, everyone's here," he said as he took his seat at the head of the table. "I called all of you here today to discuss what took place while I was in Avesta."

"Did you settle the dispute?" Gary inquired.

"Oh yes, everything is fine in Avesta."

From his seat next to the King, Numair noticed how nervous Jon seemed. _He's always so composed. Something must be wrong._

The Queen leaned towards her husband and whispered to him, "Is everything alright?" She had also noticed how apprehensive he seemed.

"Well, you see... umm... while I was in Avesta... well..."

"Spit it out, Jon," Alanna said forcefully.

"The Dominion Jewel is gone." There was silence among the council members as they all stared at the King in shock. Jonathan began nervously fidgeting under the stares of the men and women seated around the table.

"You idiot! What happened?" Alanna yelled at him.

"I was attacked by a Stormwing... I believe his name was Vergor Thunderstar-"

"Attacked?" Raoul asked. "I thought the First Company was with you."

"Oh, right, well they weren't exactly there when it happend."

Myles spoke for the first time since the start of the meeting. "What really happened?"

The King finally gave in. "I couldn't sleep one night so I went for a walk through Avesta. I met a stormwing along the way. He was being very civil until he told me to look behind me... I don't quite recall what he said. I did and the next thing I knew, he was flying away with the Jewel in its pouch, laughing." He began turning a shade of pink as he told the embarrassing event.

Alanna gave him a menacing stare as she began turning purple out of rage. She was speechless. 

"You fell for the oldest trick in the book?" Numair said. 

Jon looked up towards the end of the table when he heard hysterical laughter. Alanna kicked her husband in the shin. "This is not funny! He lost the Dominion Jewel. Do you realize what this means! Stop laughing!" George did not respond, but continued laughing and pounding on the table. This made the King feel even more uncomfortable. 

Thayet moved towards her husband and put her hand on his arm. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I guess I was just so ashamed of my own stupidity," he told her quietly. 

"I don't believe 'stupidity' adequately describes the situation," Buri snapped.

"I'm sure it will all turn out fine in the end. I'm sure the stormwings can't even use the Jewel," Raoul said logically.

Alanna suddenly said, "I can't believe this! I mean, of all things. The Jewel is missing, we still have to deal with Emperor Kaddar's arrival-"

"What did you just say? Emperor Kaddar?" Jonathan paled as he asked numbly.

"Yes. Emperor Kaddar is coming accompanied by five of his advisors. He is supposed to arrive one day from now. He's traveling on the same boat as Commander Keladry's unit," Lindhall explained. As he heard the news, Jonathan sat down and put his head in his hands. 

"Why me?" he said to no one in particular. 

"Hello everyone! I just arrived-" Daine paused as she surveyed the scene before her. Numair walked over to her to explain the situation.

"Daine, the Dominion Jewel was taken away by a stormwing by the name of Vergor Thunderstar." 

_Just because we broke up, he can't call me 'Magelet' anymore?_ Daine wondered to herself as she listened to Numair's explaination. He continued to tell her what Jonathan had said to the rest of the council. 

"Oh, Gods," Daine muttered. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Here are both of our email addresses. Feel free to email us:

[swatthia@hotmail.com][1]

  
  


[lady_knight1b@hotmail.com][2]

   [1]: mailto:swatthia@hotmail.com
   [2]: mailto:lady_knight1b@hotmail.com



	2. Chapter 2

A/N: We would like to let you all know that we DO NOT dislike Daine and Numair together. We also don't have anything against the age gap. We just have some other ideas in mind. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews- we really appreciate it! Keep reviewing! 

  
  


Disclaimer (this is for the whole story): Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce- it's not ours.

  
  


Daine took out another pile of clothes from her still packed bag from her last excursion. Kitten sat on the floor nearby watching patiently. While she folded clothes and put things away, she thought about her experience observing Jonathan using the Jewel during the Immortals War. _We can't let the people find out. There would be chaos if they did. They believe we'll all go hungry without it. I hope we don't have to deal with the Stormwings again. Vergor Thunderstar... I don't think I've ever heard of him. What could he want with the Jewel? Maybe... I wonder what Numair thinks of all this. He's been so distant lately. I don't understand why he acts so awkwardly around me. I still don't know why he can't call me Magelet anymore. That name would always make me feel- _Her thoughts were cut off by Kitten's chirps as she played with Daine's hairbrush. 

"Kit, let go of that!" She grabbed the brush away from the young dragon and playfully swung it at her. The dragon was faster and moved away while making soft whistling noises to herself. Daine sighed at the dragon's behavior and began tugging the brush through her tangled, smoky brown curls. She turned around from her place in front of the mirror at a knock on the door. "Come in," she called out. 

"Hello, Daine," Alanna replied. She surveyed the messy room around her. "Shouldn't you be getting ready, not making a mess like this?"

Daine blushed as she looked around at the mess her room had become as she unpacked. "Ready? Ready for what?" she asked innocently. 

"Emperor Kaddar's arrival." She watched as different emotions appeared on the younger girl's face. 

"What are you talking about? Emperor Kaddar? Here?"

"Yes of course. He arrived on boat yesterday. He rode in with Commander Keladry's unit. You didn't know?"

"I just got back yesterday. No one told me about this!" Alanna thought for a moment to herself. 

"Let's have a look at your closet. You need a dress."

Daine suddenly exclaimed, "A dress! We need to go buy a new dress!"

"We better get moving then. No time to waste," Alanna said catching a dose of Daine's excitement. Daine grabbed her purse and they quickly proceeded into town. 

  
  
  
  


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"But think of what could happen if this isn't resolved soon!"

"Gary, you're taking this too far. It's going to be fine," Raoul replied optimistically. Jon watched the two argue about the missing Jewel. He once again scolded himself mentally for being the cause of the problem. Their voices got louder and louder as they got deeper into the argument. In an attempt to change the subject, Jon asked, "So, Gary, how are the pages doing?" 

Gary, knowing what Jon was trying do, replied, "They're coming along well in their training. The pages are more difficult to handle than the squires. The squires still have Wyldon's influence on them." Then, there was silence in the room. The dispute was temporarily over. 

"When is Kaddar supposed to arrive?" Raoul questioned the King. 

"He should be here anytime now. I can't believe I have to entertain the Emperor throughout all this mess. He couldn't have had worse timing." The two other men in the room noticed how tense the King sounded. They could tell that the King was feeling regret over his terrible mistake. "Perhaps we should make our way to greet him." Gary and Raoul nodded and the three men left the room together. 

  
  


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"What do you think of this one, Daine?" Alanna asked holding up a pattern. 

"Hmm... I like it." The two women were in Lalasa's dress shop desperately searching for an appropriate dress for Daine to wear for Kaddar's arrival. Lalasa walked out from the back of the shop to help them search. Daine and Alanna frequently accompanied Thayet and Kel when they got clothes from Lalasa, so she knew them both. The three women spent half an hour looking for the right dress. Finally, Lalasa cried, "I found it! This one is perfect, Daine." 

"Yes! That's it!" Alanna sighed with relief. Daine quickly paid for the dress and then scurried out the door. In her hurry to get out of the store and back to the palace with her new dress, she bumped into a man on her way out. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess I was in a hurry to get back to the palace," Daine apologized. 

"It's all right, really." 

"Oh, hello Lerant. How are you?" Alanna asked him. She knew Lerant from working with the King's Own. 

"I'm fine, thank you." Alanna thought to herself, _What is he doing here? I thought Lalasa only made clothes for women._ But she only lingered on that thought for a moment as Daine dragged her away to the palace. 

  
  


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Kaddar observed the glorious land of Tortall as he rode through it. He smiled as he glanced over at his friend, Timon, who was flirting with the commander of the unit of the King's Own they rode with. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Timon while he flirted, so he rode closer to his best friend. "What do think of Tortall?" Teron's eye's widened as he observed the land they rode through. The myriad of colors in his eyes was evident when he did this. 

"It's a nice change to see such a peaceful land. We still have so much to restore back in Carthak. And no slaves. I still don't like slaves."

"I know, I know. It will take a very long time to completely abolish slavery. I'm doing my best."

"Of course you are- with my help," Dermid added from behind his two friends. As an afterthought he said, "It's an insult to have a female commander as our escort." 

"I'm sure Commander Keladry is a very capable person. She did earn her shield after years of training. She was Sir Raoul of Malorie's Peak and Golden Lake's squire."

"Still idolizing him, Ragnal?" Dermid asked the tall man who was usually very quiet. When he spoke, he was usually saying something nice about someone or speaking about his idol: Sir Raoul. 

"I hope Daine will be there when we arrive. I haven't seen her in so long..." Kaddar said more to himself than to his friends accompanying him to Tortall. As he mentioned Daine for not the first time since they planned their trip to Tortall, Dermid and Teron winked at each other. They had a sense that Kaddar's feelings for Daine were more than he implied. Kaddar didn't notice their exchange. 

"We're nearing the palace," Keladry called out to Kaddar and his five friends. The emperor nodded in response. 

"I've heard miraculous things about the library of the Tortallian palace," Hugo said. This was one of his first comments throughout the duration of the ride. He didn't like horses very much and he preferred to remain indoors. 

"Of course, you're still thinking about books even on the other side of the ocean. I think all you need is a little fun. This is the perfect opportunity," Dermid informed his shorter, intelligent friend. 

"They're having a banquet for our arrival tonight," Timon said as he rode over to the group. He looked back at Kel and winked. She blushed and looked away. As the palace grew nearer, they continued to guess at what there stay in Tortall would be like. They each had their own expectations and hopes. 

  
  


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Daine hid a yawn as she sat through the introductions. She observed that the effects of being the emperor had changed Kaddar. She wondered if he would even want talk to her while he was visiting. He might have become too noble for the likes of her. The introductions were very long and dull as the herald called out names and titles. 

  
  


Kaddar hid a yawn as he walked forward when the herald called his name. He was tired after riding all day and feeling rather anxious. He hoped Daine would still be the same person he remembered. He could talk to her for hours as she watched him with those big eyes. He wished he could sit down. As the next names were called and he stepped aside, he scanned the room to catch a glimpse of Daine. 

  
  


Daine saw Kaddar scan the crowd until his eyes stayed on her. She quickly looked away, although she wasn't sure why. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him frown slightly as she looked away. 

"The Wildmage of Tortall, Veralidaine Sarrasri, shall now show you to your rooms," Jonathan, called out to the guests. Daine looked up, surprised. _He didn't tell me that I am supposed to be their tour-guide_. She stood up with Kitten in her arms as the six men walked towards her. She avoided conversation and tried not to make eye-contact with them as they joked and talked amongst themselves. 

Kaddar stayed right behind Daine as he half-listened to his friends' voices. She wore her hair plainly, her thick curls cascading down her back. Her dress was a midnight-blue that shimmered. It had a square neckline with a form-fitting bodice. The sleeves were tight until her elbows where they flared. A few inches below her waistline the dress flared out as well. He listened to the noise the fabric made as she walked. 

One by one, the men separated to their own rooms. Kaddar's was the last. In front of his door, they stopped walking. For the first time since Kaddar's arrival, the two made eye-contact. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to our very confused friend Trevor (Numie). We hope you understand what we're talking about. You probably won't, but that's okay. Keep on reviewing! We love to hear all your feedback (positive feedback, that is). 

  
  


Disclaimer: By The Way... Timon, Teron, Ragnal, Hugo, Dermid, and Vergor Thunderstar belong to us. 

  
  


Suddenly, Kaddar reached forward in an attempt to hug Daine. However, he pulled back before Daine could register what he was doing. 

"Would you like to come in? I'd love to catch up on all the time since I've seen you last." Daine hesitated.

"I don't think so. You must be tired and I need time to get ready for the banquet."

"Right, of course... the banquet. I suppose I'll see you then."

"Uh, yes. See you then." She said with fake cheeriness as she quickly walked down the hall in the direction of her rooms. At the same time, Kaddar went into his rooms and closed the door. 

"Mithros, I'm such an idiot!" He looked around the large, expensively furnished room. His bags were already in the room waiting to be unpacked. With a sigh, he picked up one of the bags and opened it. "You'd think a prince would know how to properly court a lady. And with all the etiquette training I've had--" Suddenly an older man with a gloomy disposition walked into the room wearing the typical clothes of a servant. 

"I can do that for you, your Imperialness," the man said in a melancholy tone. 

"Oh, thank you." He stepped aside as the man began unpacking the Emperor's things. 

  
  


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Numair faced the mirror as he attempted to pull his hair back. He muttered curses under his breath as it kept trying to escape its bonds. After many minutes of battling with his black hair, he was successful. "Finally," he said, looking approvingly at himself in the mirror. He heard voices and footsteps as a group of people passed by his door, slightly ajar. He just caught a glimpse of a group of men he didn't know. Behind them, he saw Daine walking next to Kaddar deep in conversation. He scowled at the sight of them together. He suddenly felt much older than he actually was. 

  
  


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Jon looked up from his empty plate to see to Kaddar walking towards him.

"Excuse me, Your Highness. You were finished with your meal, and I was wondering if...I kind of wanted to talk about our alliance."

Jon nodded. "Of course. Kings should be friends, shouldn't they? Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty chair next to him.

"Well, my advisers and I were thinking about-"

  
  


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Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight of Tortall, turned her head as she heard a familiar voice.

"My own Lady Knight!" Neal exclaimed in his signature drawl. Kel stood up as Neal ran over to her. They shared an embrace. Kel pulled away.

"How's Yuki?"

"Just being Yuki." Neal shrugged. He smiled over Kel's shoulder and gave a small wave. Kel turned around and saw Owen approaching.

Owen, excited at seeing Kel, bowled her over and gave her a giant hug. Suddenly, he backed away. "Sorry, didn't mean to treat you like a girl, or anything." Kel gently cuffed him in the arm.

"How's the life of a knight treating you?" she asked him.

"Not as jolly as I thought it would be."

"What, not enough blood and gore to your liking?" Neal asked sarcastically.

"Can we join the party?" Faleron asked as he approached the three friends, with Merric at his side. Neal shook hands with both Faleron and Merric.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Neal asked, pointing to a cluster of empty seats. They moved to sit down as Cleon appeared, holding a drink in his hand. Neal stood up and gave Cleon a pound on his back. Cleon returned the favor with his available hand. 

As the rest of the group greeted Cleon, Kel fully immersed herself in the task of pulling out a loose string from her tunic. When she finally looked up, Cleon gave a small smile in her direction. She timidly returned the smile, using all of her Yamani training. The group of friends sat down, reunited once more, and began recounting their tales.

  
  


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Daine looked at Numair from her seat beside him. He had been quiet all evening. She decided to venture a question. "Is something wrong?"

Numair head snapped up at the question. "Well, so much is going on right now. I just needed to think, what with the Jewel missing, and the Emperor being here," he trailed off, with a bitter edge to his voice that Daine couldn't help but notice..

"What do you have against Kaddar? You've been this way ever since we first him at the peace talks."

Numair raised one brow at the name Kaddar. "Nice to see you're still on close terms with him," he said tersely.

Daine could feel anger beginning to stir within her. "Actually, it is. You know, it's very nice!"

"Daine..." he began.

"You know what, Numair? I don't want to hear it!" She stood up and walked away, in the direction of Lindhall, leaving a very bemused Numair behind.

  
  


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Cleon looked over at the sound of a very familiar voice. His gaze landed on the sight of Kel and Dom talking. He decided to walk over to a closer seat to do a little eavesdropping. As he listened in on their conversation, he discovered that 'talking' didn't exactly describe what they were doing; it was more like flirting. He saddened at the thought of Kel being with Dom. He had always noticed how fond of her Dom seemed to be. He knew he was being selfish. Since he had been forced to be married to an heiress, despite Kel's feelings, she should be allowed to be happy. His marriage had turned out to be a very happy one, and he should wish the same upon Kel. 

  
  


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Neal sat alone with a drink in front of him. He hadn't had anything to drink all night. Yuki hated alcohol. Suddenly, a man with dark skin and very dark blue eyes sat down next to him.

"Are you just going to stare at that glass all night?" He asked. 

"Umm... I think so." 

In a quieter voice, the man informed Neal, "Well, I suggest you start drinking, my good man."

"Dare I ask why?"

The man leaned even closer. "I have the sight, you know. I can see that you better drink up everything in that glass. You might even drink another one after that. I can't tell for sure, but I think you might have to have a third as well."

"Who am I to deny my fate?" Neal asked, a smile forming on his face. 

"I think I see myself joining you in this task. It's fuzzy, but I have a good feeling about it," he said rather dramatically. Neal could tell he was going to like this man, who appeared to be about his own age. 

"Cheers!" Neal said as he held up his glass. 

"Cheers, indeed," the other man said and joined him. 

  
  


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Alanna sat lazily perched on a desk, while Thayet sat neatly, with her ankles crossed. Alanna had gladly escaped the banquet at Thayet's request. _Raoul was so lucky he didn't have to attend_. The two women sat alone in the room, impatiently waiting for their third member to arrive. 

"Where the hell is Numair?" Alanna finally yelled. 

"Call him with your Gift," Thayet suggested. She was much more for taking action as opposed to yelling about things. Alanna did just as she suggested. Purple magic shimmered around her as she called Numair to inform him that he better hurry up. They waited for a few more minutes, before he came in. 

"So, how are you both?"

"Is that all you have to say?" Alanna asked, glaring at him.

"What? What did I do?"

"What did you do? I think you know-" Alanna glared at him once more. 

"Well, now that you're here, perhaps we should begin with our project. It was coming along very nicely before the interruption of the missing Jewel-" Thayet began.

"Please don't talk about the Jewel right now," Alanna pleaded. 

"I won't. As I was saying... we were very close to getting that amendment passed about rights for servants. We better get this finished quickly, because this harassment has to stop right now," Thayet said forcefully. 

"That's why were doing all this," Alanna said. Thayet took out a document. Alanna looked at it and said something that went right over Numair's head. 

"I'm so confused! What are you talking about?"

"Here read this," Alanna said as she stood up and walked over to Numair to give him the document. He began to read. The two women watched him as he read. 

  
  


Twenty minutes later, he was still reading the three-page document. 

"Ye Gods! Didn't anyone teach you how to read? Maybe that's why you spend so much time with your books!" Alanna was exasperated. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," Numair laughed out loud. For some reason, he found this situation, which had no humor at all, to be very funny.

"Shhhhh! Laughing out loud is forbidden!" Thayet informed Numair. As an afterthought she added, "You twit!"

"Hmph!" Numair grunted as he turned and walked out of the room. 

  
  


A/N: We wanted to continue, but we had to stop at an awkward place. So sorry! The last part with Thayet, Alanna, and Numair was a little OOC. It was sort of just for our own entertainment. Hehe... we thought it was funny if you didn't. R/R! (Numie- you especially. If you don't review, we are going to hurt you!)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is the second half of chapter 3. We're really sorry that we couldn't get the whole chapter together at once but we didn't want to keep you all waiting that long. So this will be short but it doesn't really fit in with chapter 4... sorry that the ending was so awkward for the last chapter. Enjoy.   
  


Ragnal's brown eyes darted around the room, searching. His two companions sat on either side of him drinking out of sparkling glasses. The man to his left asked while pushing aside his ebony curls, "Looking for him?" He nodded, but didn't make eye contact with him. 

"I'm gonna get another drink. Dermid, Ragnal, do you want anything?" 

"No thanks," Dermid replied. Ragnal shook his head. Teron made his way through the throng of people toward the refreshments table. He got another glass full of glittering liquid, and took a small drink of it. A sudden movement on the other side of the room made him glance over. Is that Raoul? If it is, I have to introduce him to Ragnal, he thought with a grin. He briskly walked to where he thought he had spotted the tall legend. But when he got there, there was no Sir Raoul and he didn't know what it was that he had seen. For a moment, he stood with his drink in his hands when he suddenly heard a noise. 

It was a strange noise he had never heard before. He looked down and saw an amazing-looking, green and scaly creature at his feet. It whistled and his necklace glowed with light. He knelt down to get a better look at the creature when it suddenly ran off. He was too curious to let it get away from him so he quickly followed behind the creature. It led him to a more secluded corner of the ballroom where there was a purple, velvet couch placed against the wall. On it, sat a woman with an abundance of brown curls and large, grey-blue eyes. He recognized her from their previous meeting that day as Daine, the Wildmage. The creature climbed up onto her lap and began making soft chirping noises. Suddenly, she looked up at the Carthakian man. He smiled at her quizzical glance. 

"I don't think we were properly introduced," Teron said as he held out his hand to her. "I am Teron. I arrived with Kaddar earlier today. I believe you were our guide around the palace."

"Yes. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Oh yes, very much. Do you mind if I sit down?" It seemed as if she hesitated for a moment, but she acquiesced, "Oh, of course!" 

"What sort of an immortal is that?" he asked gesturing at Kitten. 

"She's a dragon. The only one in the mortal realms. Her ma helped me when pirates raided us quite a few years back. She left Kitten to me. Her real name is Skysong." 

"Can I hold her?"

"If she lets you. She usually enjoys being adored." She handed over the young dragon to the man sitting next to her. He put his drink down on the small table next to the couch and let the dragon sit in his lap.   
  


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Alanna was falling asleep on her feet. As she looked around, she suspected she wasn't the only one. Jon was making a long-winded speech to signal the closing of the banquet. As she hid a yawn, she thought, So tired...

BOOM!!!!!

Alanna jumped about a mile into the air. When she landed, she had her sword drawn. The room erupted into a loud murmur of confusion. She looked over in the direction of laughter and a piercing voice, to see her former squire, a Carthakian, and Yuki. The two men were doubled over with laughter, and Yuki was chastising them with a red face. Neal and the Carthakian man were covered in smoke, and their hair was sticking out at odd angles. 

Jon, in haste to cover up the situation, curtly said to everyone, "Goodnight," and stepped down and walked away.  
  


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Daine quickly stood up, cutting off Teron's comment. She wore an expression of wonderment. "I must go. Nice meeting you," she added with a smile. She walked out of the room, her dress making a soft whispering noise as she passed. She continued to walk down the darkened halls of the large palace until she reached her destination: the king's study. She paused for a second before lightly tapping at the door. "Come in," said Jon's familiar voice. Daine opened the door and stepped inside, not noticing the other occupant of the room. Trying to control the excitement of her voice, she began telling her idea so quickly that the king had trouble understanding her words.

"Slow down, Daine! I can't make heads or tails of what you're saying!" Jon told her as he gestured to a chair for her to sit. Daine took a deep breath and started slowly. 

"The Jewel's gone, and we need it back. Therefore, someone needs to get it. It was taken by an stormwing, and I have experience with them. So, why don't I go retrieve it?" She finished her explanation with a satisfied smile, waiting for the king's answer. 

"Well, I think it's a fabulous idea. But I'm not about to let you go searching for the Jewel alone. It could be very dangerous," Kaddar said from within the shadows behind her. Daine jumped and whirled around, surprised by the new presence in the room. But she found that he was seated, and had already been talking to the king before she had arrived. She had been too worked up to notice. Daine felt a bit angry at Kaddar's statement. He had just gotten here today and already he thought he could tell her what to do! He was just like Numair, thinking she couldn't take care of herself, like a child! "I can take perfectly good care of myself," she informed the emperor coolly. Jon intervened, saying, "He's perfectly correct Daine. I don't think you should do this alone. Of course we know that you can take care of yourself, but it's a lot easier and safer to have someone accompany you." Daine was slightly annoyed at Jon's agreement with Kaddar, but she knew that a royal order was a royal order and it must be followed. 

Kaddar stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to bed." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, if you don't need me here in Corus, maybe I can accompany Daine? After all, my uncle was a Stormwing for a short period of time." Daine stared at him with disbelief. Jon smile to himself. "I'll think about it and let you know, Kaddar."

Ar the door, Kaddar turned and as a last thought said, "Would you walk with me, Daine? We could discuss your wonderful plan." She stood up without replying and nodded to the king. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for all the great feedback. We really like this chapter… hope you do too!

Raoul woke at a knock on his door. He rubbed his eyes drowsily and reached for his robe at the end of his bed. He walked to the door, dragging his feet with fatigue. When he opened it, he was rather annoyed to see the King fully awake and dressed. 

"Good morning!" he said with enthusiasm. He continued talking before Raoul could say anything in response. "I need you in the council room as soon as possible… I had to call an urgent meeting."

"Now?" Raoul had stayed up late the night before, discussing the missing Jewel with Buri. 

"Yes, right away." Jon turned and walked away as suddenly as he had arrived. Raoul sighed and rubbed his face. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long morning. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The members of the council began to file into the council room around the old, careworn table. They all felt as weary as they looked. The usual chatter that was present among the council members was not there at this early hour. Behind her exhaustion, Daine's eyes shone with excitement. She sat next to Kaddar, who didn't seem quite as enthused. When Numair entered, he scanned the room and slowly took a seat across from Daine. 

"Good morning," he said to her as sat down. She smiled back at him and turned her attention to the King as he cleared his throat, ready to begin. 

"Sorry to call you here so early. But something happened last night and I wanted to share it with you all as soon as possible. I believe that I have… or rather, Daine has found a solution to our problem concerning the Dominion Jewel. We all know about Daine's experience with stormwings. She has volunteered to track down Vergor Thunderstar and retrieve the Dominion Jewel."

"She can't go by herself!" Numair spoke out suddenly. Daine shot him a menacing look acorss the table but he didn't seem to notice. 

Jon casually replied, "But, she isn't." Numair looked confused. 

"Kaddar is going with her. He has experience with stormwings as well. Numair had an odd expression. But eventually he nodded and became silent. 

The meeting continued, with discussions of Daine and Kaddar's excursion and other orders of business. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Daine, needing to catch up on her sleep since she was deprived of it last night, began to make her way to her room. In her sleepy haze she didn't notice there was someone in front of her until she walked right into him. 

"Sorry," she mumbled and walked right past. The person grabbed her arm, holding her back. She finally looked up to see it was Numair. 

"I wanted to talk to you…about this idea of yours."

"Yes?" she said impatiently, knowing he was probably going to say that she needed an army around her for protection. 

"Are you sure that was a good decision…. choosing him?"

"What are you talking about?" Daine demanded, getting angrier. 

"Is it really wise to spend so much time alone with him? And I don't think he has the requirements needed for this expedition." 

"First of all, I didn't choose to be accompanied at all! He volunteered to go, and the King agreed that I should have a companion."

"Look, Ma- er Daine, I-"

"Just say it! Magelet. I don't see why you act so awkwardly around me sometimes. It wasn't easy for me either, to go through what we did, but at least I try to keep our friendship going. Why don't you- ugh!" And with that, she threw her hands in the air and stalked off. He watched dumbly after her. 

"Ah!" He turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was the Lioness. 

"Hmm… I wonder what she was going to say… don't you?"

"What?" She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger. Numair was not prepared for what she had to say. 

"You're an idiot! I know you still like her and we both know why you broke up with her. You two had a silly fight and you automatically think she will never love you because of the age gap! It's ridiculous! Then, you go and expect sympathy from everyone. Don't you think that it affected her too? I've been watching you two, you know. You're being such a twit!" Numair looked at the ground sheepishly. He had nothing to say. He uncharacteristically shuffled his feet on the stone floor. 

"You're so- ugh!" The Lioness with nothing more to say, stalked away in the direction of Daine, smiling. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neal licked his dry lips nervously before knocking. He stood outside Kel's door, about to address her. He knocked twice and waited. The door swung open to reveal Kel, with Jump at her heels. She invited him in, noticing how pale he was.

"Is something wrong?" her brow furrowed with concern.

"Maybe you should sit down, Kel," he told her, remembering the last time he had to deliver bad news to her a few years ago.

He decided to go straight to the point. "It's about Cleon."

Kel stood up. "Is he hurt? Is everything all right?"

Neal put his hand on her shoulder and gently forced her back down onto the chair. "No…not exactly."

"Then what is it?"

Neal wrung his hands. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Cleon and Elspeth…well…they've had a child. A boy."

Kel's face crumpled, but she sat up straight and immediately regained control of herself. She was silent for a few moments. "He didn't even tell me she was pregnant," she whispered.

Neal drew in a breath. "Kel, no one knew. Cleon found out just recently himself. He's been gone from Fief Kennan for a long time."

Kel still seemed to be registering what Neal had said. "Kel," he began slowly, not sure what to say next. He reached out to her instead. She pushed him away and stood up. As she moved toward the door, he called out to her again. She paid no heed to him, and hurried out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kel sat on a stone bench, letting the tears run down her cheeks as she watched the water trickle down the fountain in front of her. Feeling foolish, she began to wipe away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, when she heard a voice. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi everyone! We've been pretty busy, but we're back. Enjoy the chapter.   


1. Daine looked at the piles of clothes and other belongings laid out on her bed. She mumbled to herself as she placed stacks of possessions in her pack. She absent-mindedly chided Kitten as she began chirping loudly. She soon found the source of Kitten's excitement; there was someone knocking on the door. She turned, surprised, and strode over to the heavy, wooden door as she tied up her hair, which had escaped its bonds while she was packing. She stood outside the door, still securing her hair, when a familiar voice called out, "Daine, hurry up! I know you're in there." 

Daine stopped, puzzled. Who is that? I know that voice. She opened the door to be greeted by a friendly hug. "Miri?" she asked returning the hug. "I thought you were still along the coast of the Emerald Ocean with the Riders."

"Just got back today!" she said enthusiastically. "I was so glad to hear you're at the palace. Now we have time to catch up on everything that I've missed." Daine smiled and then frowned. 

"Actually, I'm leaving this evening."

"So soon? What for?" Daine chewed on her lip. 

"I'm supposed to keep it a secret. You won't tell anyone, will you?" Miri raised her eyebrows for an instant, but quickly replied, 

"Of course not." Daine nodded and explained her situation from the day Jonathan had lost the Jewel. "Oh, well, then," Miri replied, speechless after learning of the shocking events that had occurred while she was away. Daine had finished packing as she spoke and her bags were now sitting in a heap in the middle of her room. Miri looked thoughtful for a moment, processing all the information she had just received. She suddenly uttered, "I'd like to meet this Carthakian Emperor." Daine smiled at her and shoved one of her bags into Miri's arms. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaddar opened his mouth to speak, but paused as he heard someone knocking at the door. He opened the door to see Daine and a girl who looked to be about Daine's age, with short dark hair, green eyes, and a dusting of freckles. Daine surveyed the room behind Kaddar's tall figure. There were five men scattered about the room in various seats. There were all sorts of items thrown about in no particular order. To sum things up, it was a mess. 

"Well, it looks like things are coming along well with you," Daine said as she walked in and put her bags down. She decided not to address the issue of Kaddar's lagging behind any further. "I'd like you all to meet my friend Miri. Miri, this is Dermid, Timon, Ragnal, Hugo, and Teron. They came to Tortall with His Imperialness, Emperor Kaddar." Kaddar held out his hand. 

"Please, just call me Kaddar." 

"Miri is in the Queen's Riders," Daine informed the men. Dermid snorted, and mumbled something which he thought was inaudible. "Women shouldn't fight." 

Daine shot him a threatening glance and made an offended noise. 

"I happen to recall a time a few years back when Daine was in Carthak," Teron retorted, his multi-colored eyes dancing. Timon chuckled; he remembered it, too. 

Miri stood a little straighter and walked over to where Dermid was perched on stool. She pointed at him and raised her voice, "Why don't you say that to my face, hm?"

He regarded her with a arrogant air. "Women shouldn't fight," he stated calmly. She stared at him for a moment with no words. Timon started laughing hysterically out of nowhere. It was difficult not to catch his infectious amusement and the tension was soon broken. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Keladry?" Kel sniffled and turned to face the speaker. "I heard," he said softly. He walked over towards her and sat down on the bench next to her. He noticed that her face was red and blotchy. Hesitantly, he put his arm around her and looked her in the eye. He felt a surge of feeling for her. 

"Oh, Dom, I-" she once again broke into tears. Dom circled both his arms around her, as if to protect her from something. Dom let her cry as he comforted her. After a few moments, she slowly pulled away and laughed ruefully. 

"I'm sorry... I got your shirt all wet."

"Don't worry about it. Are you going to be all right?" He looked at her, his eyes demanding the truth. 

She nodded and quietly said, "Yes." He looked assured and leaned forward to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. She smiled wanly at him. "I should go back inside. It's getting chilly out." He nodded, but leaned forward to kiss her cheek, his lips lingering at the salty taste of her tears. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Yo wassup everyone. Sorry... it's been quite a LONG time since we've updated. But we're back and we'll HOPEFULLY have new chapters more frequently... if our teachers aren't too mean. Ok... so... enjoy.. And REVIEW!!!!! We want at least 8 (at least) reviews before our next chapter. Please? Pretty please??? Ok... enough from us. 

  
  


Disclaimer: Yeah... only Dermid, Ragnal, Teron, Hugo, Timon, and Vergor Thunderstar belong to us. The rest belongs to the wonderful Ms. Pierce. 

  
  


Kel whistled as she walked down the streets of Corus to Lalasa's dress shop. It was mid-afternoon; the sun was shining and the streets were teeming with people. She wore tan breeches and a white cotton shirt. As she opened the door to the tiny shop, a small bell hung over the door rang, alerting Lalasa of her entrance. Unbeknownst to Kel, there was someone else inside. She went inside and was nearly knocked over by a dirty blonde haired man. She looked up to see Lerant. She was about to continue walking when it suddenly hit her that Lerant was standing inside, well, about to leave, a woman's dress shop. 

"Lerant, um, hello. Are you ready to leave today? We don't want to be behind. We're leaving right after dinner."

"Yes. Um... I was just here to... have some last minute adjustment made on my uniforms," Lerant said, beginning to look uncomfortable. He began to fidget. 

"Ok, all right. See you later, then."

"Yes, Commander Keladry," he said making an exaggerated bow. She just scoffed at his antics. She then turned to Lalasa who was standing behind the counter. She was a wearing a simple brown dress and her dark hair was mussed. 

"Oh, Kel! I finished your tunic."

"Thanks, Lalasa. We're leaving today."

"I know. Lerant was telling me."

"What was Lerant doing here anyway? I thought you only made women's clothes."

"Well...er...Lerant...and I, we're..." Lalasa trailed off, gesticulating unsurely with her hands.

Kel was struck full-force with a realization. "No! You're not! You can't be!"

"I am."

"When? How?" Kel paused. "Why him?"

"Well, when I was trying to open my shop, I was working in the palace tailors. Lerant came in for a fitting, and he just started talking to me. He was just being friendly, and I wasn't responding to anything he was saying, until he asked me my name. When he found out who I was, he said that he'd heard of my classes, and we started a really good conversation. After he left, I thought I would never see him again, but he came to one of my classes, and offered to help me teach the girls."

"That doesn't sound like Lerant at all," Kel said, musing over Lalasa's story.

"I think he's very sweet, not at all like how you described him. He has honorable intentions." Kel raised her eyebrows. She turned around and looked out through the window.

"It's getting late. I should be going. I just came here to say goodbye before I leave."

Lalasa came out from behind the counter and hugged her friend. "Be safe, and make sure you take good care of your clothes...and Lerant." Kel chuckled, and left the shop, re-entering the streets of Corus.

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


Neal was in a quandary. He sat between his best friend, Kel and cousin Dom, both of them as silent as stone. He attempted, again, to get a conversation started. 

"So, my Commanders, what are the plans for this excursion?"

Kel looked at Neal. "We'll be leaving after this meal, so you should be packed. We will escort Daine and Emperor Kaddar until Vergor Thunderstar's rumored whereabouts. Once they are there, we shall make camp, and remain there in case of an emergency."

"And you, my dear Meathead, shall be our traveling healer, especially if yours truly falls off his steed," Dom added. Kel looked like she wanted to laugh, but didn't, and the table was silent again. This conversation would just have to do for Neal, at least for the moment.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi everyone!!! Hmm… we've had a LONG vacation from this fanfiction, no? Sorry to make you all wait so long but we've finally updated! Woo hoo!! So enjoy the new chapter!

Neal walked rapidly down the palace halls towards Daine's rooms. When he neared her door, he heard faint sobbing. On a normal occasion, he would have turned around and left her by herself, but it was time to leave. The door was ajar. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Daine?" The sobbing stopped suddenly and Daine walked towards the door to let in the owner of a familiar voice. She wiped her eyes and opened the door all the way. "Are you all right?" He cleared his throat as he followed her inside the room. "It's time to leave. Do you need help with your bags?" She nodded and they both began gathering bags piled on her bed. As they awkwardly walked with the extra weight of the bags, Daine stopped suddenly.

"You know… this is ridiculous. He's acting like a wounded puppy for the Goddess' sake! I thought we both agreed it was for the best, and that we could go on being friends but he makes it so awkward! And now there's this whole mess about the Dominion Jewel and although I love my work, I'm just so tired! And then the King made me the tour guide for Kaddar and all his friends." She finally paused and took a breath. "I can't even snap my fingers." 

"What, this?" Kaddar stood, grinning, in the doorway. He slowly held up his right hand and snapped his fingers. Daine narrowed her eyes and glared at him. 

"You…you…ugh!" She stalked out of the room, still carrying her bags. As she went by, Kaddar stepped aside and bowed. The two men followed after her towards the stables to embark upon their journey. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dom readjusted his hold on his reins. "Well," he said, in an attempt to break the silence, "I'm glad that's over." His companions nodded and mumbled their agreement, but no further conversation ensued. Neal, eager for conversation himself, pulled up beside Dom.

"So, what's going on with you and Kel?"

Dom looked up. "Looks like the weather is going to be clear for awhile."

"You two seem to be avoiding each other."

"It would be nice if it stayed like this for awhile. It's been chilly lately."

"Dom…"

"I think we need more supplies, don't you?"

Neal sighed melodramatically. "I suppose."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kaddar watched Daine as she rode beside him silently. He felt as if he should say something. "What were you talking to Neal about?" he asked hesitantly.

Daine looked at him. "Oh, I was just worried about the trip."

"It sounded like you were talking about Numair to me."

Daine made an irritated noise. "What did you hear?" she asked resignedly.

"I never realize you two were together," Kaddar said.

"We aren't."

"Anymore. What happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it. I felt as if we were growing apart, mostly because our ages were always getting in the way. But, I think the biggest part was that our love just wasn't fun anymore. It was too serious. It was still there, but it didn't hold its appeal." Daine paused, and then stared at Kaddar. "Why in Mithros' name am I telling you this?" she asked hysterically.

"Because I have such an innocent face," Kaddar answered cheekily. "Actually, it sounds like you've been keeping your explanation to yourself for a long time. It's good that you told me. After all, what are friends for?" His voice had almost a wistful tone to it, and Daine decided it was high time to change the subject.

"So about Vergor Thunderstar…any idea on how to trap him at all?"

"Erm…not entirely. But we would have to find him first." The discussion continued in the same vein for awhile. _Thank the Goddess, _Kaddar thought_, I finally got Daine out of her shell._ They were so engrossed in conversation, none of them realized the danger they were in until it was almost upon them.


	9. Chapter 9

"Look out!" Neal screamed suddenly. Daine and Kaddar both whipped around to see a group of scruffy bandits charging towards them. One, a particularly large man with a long greying beard, was almost upon them, swinging his axe in the air. Kel, mounted on Peachblossom's back, rode in front of the rest of her party to slash her foe across the stomach just as he prepared to strike. He clutched his torso, his face distorted with pain, and slid off his horse, raising a cloud of dust on the ground. 

Daine looked over at Kaddar warily, then shifted her gaze to his horse and commanded it to stay away from the battle. Daine knew that with her country's current situation, the death of Carthak's emperor would not bode well with her king and countrymen. As Kaddar's steed began to move away from the battle, despite his protests, Daine turned towards the men advancing upon their group and nocked an arrow to bowstring. She narrowed her eyes, taking her aim, ready to shoot when they came within range. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Miri walked briskly towards the stables, eager to take Apple for a ride around the palace grounds. "Shouldn't you be wearing a riding skirt?" a voice called. Miri whirled around, and saw a familiar face.

"Oh, you again," she responded cheerfully, continuing to saddle her horse. Dermid leaned against the stable wall, watching her. "Care for a race?" she asked casually.

Dermid snorted. "I like to treat women chivalrously. I wouldn't want to disgrace you by trouncing you."

"You Carthakis seem to keep underestimating us Tortallians," Miri replied, still not looking straight at Kaddar's comrade. She mounted Apple and finally made eye contact with him. "Well?" she said expectantly.

"Fine," he grudgingly responded, walking down to his horse. "I'll meet you outside." Minutes later, he rode out, finding Miri patting her horse and whistling softly. 

"Ready?" she asked eagerly. He grunted in response. "Last one to reach the other side of the pasture has to do whatever the winner asks of them." His eyes widened slightly but he didn't say anything as he pulled up next to her. "On my count...one...two...three!"

They both urged their mounts forward, Dermid taking a slight lead. Miri leaned flat against Apple, and whispered, "Let's beat him!" Apple complied, putting on a burst of speed. When Dermid reached the designated finish line, Miri had slowed Apple down to a gentle trot. "Took you long enough," she said, grinning.

"I'm not used to these Tortallian horses," he muttered. "All this Wild Magic flying around, how's a man supposed to ride?"

"Right. Well, there's a ball tomorrow night, and I'm expected to be there with someone, and you're that lucky someone." 

Dermid groaned.

  
  


A/N: Remember us? Sorry, guys, it's short, we know. And it's been a loooong time. We promise to update soon, and we're not kidding this time. Have faith in us! And if you want to encourage us, there's that little blue box in the bottom left hand corner. Feel free to email us!

swatthia@hotmail.com

lady_knight1b@hotmail.com


	10. Chapter 10

Daine quickly dismounted and changed into hawk form as she reached out her mind to Kaddar's horse. Frightened by the sudden battle and its rider's frustration, it had wrenched away from Daine's wild magic and began galloping deep into the forest. As she flew in front of the uncontrollable horse, she gently coaxed it back within her power. It's eyes were wild and it's mouth was full of white foam from Kaddar's attempts at stopping it. 

Suddenly, it reared back. Kaddar groped for a better hold on the reins, but the horse's wild actions took him by surprise and sent him flying from the saddle and into a patch of shrubs a few feet away. Kaddar groaned in pain and lifted his head to see Daine's head atop a hawk body, sitting on the back of his horse who was now whickering calmly. Confused by this strange image and dulled by pain, he let his eyes close and his head fall back into the bushes. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neal held a glowing green hand to Dom's bleeding arm. After a few seconds, the wound clotted. Dom looked down at his arm, trying to keep his vision steady. 

"It's not bleeding anymore," he said thickly. Neal nodded a little dizzy from healing. "It still hurts," Dom continued, raising an eyebrow at his cousin. 

"Well, I'm afraid that can't be helped," Neal replied. "I seem to have lost a lot of energy mediating between you and Kel," he said wryly. He paused. "Do I have to keep doing that?" 

Dom sighed. "It's nothing I can control." 

"Maybe I can help. But I have to be informed of the problem first."

"I don't know... but then again, you are more familiar with rejection than I am." 

Neal knit his eyebrows together and peered at Dom closely. "What?!" he asked incredulously. He was both insulted and confused. "What did you do to her?"

Dom sat straight up, ignoring the pain shooting up his arm. "You Meathead! I didn't do anything! I was just trying to comfort her!"

"You mean you took advantage of her!" Neal accused, his green eyes narrowing.

Dom extended his arms and grabbed Neal's neck, his judgement slightly skewed by pain. "You- you-" he sputtered. His wound reopened, and the pain only served to fuel his rage. 

Neal raised his right arm, ready to throw a punch. He felt something restraining him, and he whipped his head around to see a very angry Kel holding onto the back of his tunic. Dom released Neal's neck, and both men looked at her shamefacedly. 

Neal grinned hesitantly. "We were only having a philosophical dispute, Mother."

"If you two are done acting like children, maybe you'd care to notice that the Wildmage and the _Emperor_ are missing," she replied quietly. She turned around and walked towards Peachblossom, hoisting herself onto his back. The two men followed suit, guiltily. 

As they rode silently, Dom pulled his steed up to keep in stride with Neal. "My arm's bleeding... again. And it still hurts," he complained. He urged his horse forward, and fell in line next to Kel.

Neal smirked. 

  
  


A/N: Hey everyone! Hope all you guys are enjoying our nice, little fanfic. And wow- we updated in less than 6 months after our last update! THAT is a first! So please, please, please REVIEW!!!! It would be greatly appreciated. All comments, praises, suggestions welcome!

Swatthia@hotmail.com

lady_knight1b@hotmail.com


	11. Chapter 11

Vergor Thunderstar alighted on a rock deep in the forest. He dropped the Jewel onto the rock from his talon and watched the sunlight reflect off its shining surface.

"My pretty!" he cried. As he admired his newest toy, he was suddenly blinded by a bright light. As the light dimmed, he could see the figure of a great man. The man stepped forward, regarding the stormwing with disdain. Vergor bowed, as best he could, cowed by the man's intimidating presence.

"The Jewel is not yours to keep. I am only letting you guard it for the time being. And you had better guard it well as the Tortallans are already searching for it."

"It is safe with me, Mithros." The God nodded, satisfied and disappeared with another flash of light.

* * *

Daine, back in human form, looked around for any signs of their riding party. Her companions were no where in sight. Kaddar's unconscious form lay on the ground in front of her. She gently shook him. He sat straight up, reaching for his sword. Daine put her hand on his arm.

"The fight's over. I couldn't control your horse so it rode off. I had to follow it to try to calm it down, but now I think we're lost." Daine was getting hysterical.

"Slow down, don't talk so much. It's making my head hurt." Kaddar rubbed his temples.

"But you're the Emperor of Carthak! And you're lost! And it's going to be my fault," Daine moaned.

"Calm down. We're fine! With just you and me we can move much faster anyhow," Kaddar reasoned. "You always argue that you can take care of yourself." Kaddar smirked. The prospect of being alone with Daine was agreeable for him. Daine gathered up both of their horses and began walking through the forest.

"Where are you going?" Kaddar called after her.

"Stormwing hunting."

* * *

Kel ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "Perhaps we should send a message back to the palace so they can scry for our missing companions. We've been searching for hours with no luck."

Neal looked at her. "Are you mad? Do you really want the King to know that we've lost the Emperor of Carthak and the Wildmage? It was your job to keep them safe!"

"Hey! While that is true, the most important thing is to get them back. And _you_, Meathead, are the only one here with the Gift. So as your commander I suggest you send back a message to the palace," Dom interjected. Neal grumbled as he searched through his bags to find a mirror. He squinted as he used his Gift to reach Alanna. Her face showed up on the shiny surface, looking displeased. Neal smiled at her, sheepishly.

"Hello Alanna, how are you?"

"What is it, Nealan?" Neal saw a figure come up behind Alanna, and Numair leaned down and peered into the mirror.

"What happened? Is Daine alright?" Alanna raised an eyebrow at Numair.

"Is the Emperor alright?" she asked pointedly.

"Well, about that... might I ask you two a favor?"

A.N.: Hey guys. We're still alive! And look! We updated! It's been a shamefully long time and we apologize sincerely. But here's some new stuff! So read... and... REVIEW! YAY! We like reviews, they make us happy. So please do. Adios! We _promise_ to update soon! Really!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Wow. It's been a LOOOOONG time since we've updated this fic. Do any of you even remember us? Probably not. We're about to leave for college so we're determined to finish this fic very soon! Hope you guys enjoy the upcoming final installments. Please read and review!

By the way, this fic was written to be after lady knight but we wrote it BEFORE Lady Knight was written. So, some of it might seem a little incorrect, but just go with it, ok:-)

Daine and Kaddar walked through the forest, leading their horses behind them. The sky was beginning to darken, casting shadows across their path. The animals around them were strangely quiet due to Daine's presence. Kaddar turned to Daine. "Maybe we should stop and set up camp for the night." Daine surveyed the area around them.

"Let's stop at that clearing ahead."

They continued on, stopping as they reached a small clearing, with a clear stream running through it. They set down their packs and led their horses to the water to drink. Daine thought for a moment. "Perhaps one of us should stay up and keep watch."

"I could put up a simple ward over our camp," Kaddar informed her. He walked to the edge of the clearing and summoned his Gift. His Gift wasn't strong, but he had been well trained at the academy in Carthak. He began setting up a protection spell as Daine looked on. _I miss Kitten_, Daine mused. _It's only when she's gone that I realize how helpful she is to me._ Daine opened her water bottle, only to realize that it was empty. She went over to the stream to refill it, just as Kaddar was finishing up the ward over camp in that corner of the clearing.

Kaddar was so focused on putting up the spell, he didn't notice Daine's approach. He turned abruptly, hearing her next to him, and suddenly they were face to face. Daine's eyes seemed even bigger in the dark, reflecting the light of the stars. Kaddar reached his hand towards her face but was interrupted by a flashing metallic gleam. He and Daine both turned to see a Stormwing, rather handsome for an immortal.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the stormwing said, raising an eyebrow. Daine quickly reached for her bow, glaring at the metal-winged creature. Kaddar silently cursed himself for putting up such a weak spell.

"What do you want?" Daine asked, scathingly, aiming her arrow at the immortal.

"The question really is, what do _you_ want?" Daine looked at the creature more closely and saw that it had a pouch tied around its neck. Daine turned to Kaddar and whispered urgently, "Vergor Thunderstar!"

* * *

"Well, about that...might I ask you two a favor?" 

Alanna scowled. "Spit it out, Nealan. Where is the Emperor? Where's Daine?"

Kel's face appeared next to Neal's. "We had a skirmish with a few bandits, and in the confusion, the two of them disappeared. I think Daine might've shape-shifted and led Kaddar away from the battle."

"You lost them!" Numair shouted. He grabbed the mirror from Alanna. "What do you think–"

"Sir, we are currently tracking them. They seem to have headed into the forest. I promise you that we will find them soon."

Yet another face appeared in the mirror. "Sir, you can trust Kel. She knows what she's doing." Kel looked at Dom, smiling appreciatively.

"Domitan, I'm sure you and Keladry are perfectly capable of tracking Daine and Kaddar," Alanna said thoughtfully. She gave Numair a meaningful look, and then turned her attention back to the mirror. "But, I do believe that we may have a more...efficient way of locating them."

* * *

Daine loosed an arrow at the Stormwing, who batted it away effortlessly. "Such anger," he taunted. "You miss your trinket that badly?" 

"That _trinket_ is more valuable than your life," Daine spat, readying another arrow. "Kaddar, stay back," she commanded, turning towards him. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Vergor Thunderstar swooped at Daine, wings spread.

"Daine, look out!" Kaddar exclaimed, jumping in front of the Wildmage. The blow intended for Daine knocked the Emperor to the ground, where he lay still.

Daine ducked as the Stormwing flew over her head, and gazed, horrified, at Kaddar's unconscious form. "All your arrows and your valiant protectors will not be enough against the power of the gods," Thunderstar jeered, from his perch in a nearby tree.

"You may be Immortal," Daine said, scathingly, "but you are no god."

"That may be true, but I am their chosen servant. It gives me such pleasure to see the disarray that I've caused."

"Your arrogance is going to be your downfall. Your desire to come taunt me with the Jewel has delivered it right to me. Do the gods know you're such a poor minion?" Angered, the Stormwing lifted his wings, preparing to strike again, but was distracted by the appearance of a very tall, dark-haired man, and a short fire-haired woman.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So, this is ALMOST the end, but not quite. The story is beginning to wrap up. Stay tuned for the very dramatic ending! READ AND REVIEW!

We'll try to update as soon as possible... though this fic has taken us four years already...

* * *

Kel padded silently through the trees, careful not to make a sound. She looked back to see the men of her riding party seated around a fire at the center of their camp, contentedly relaxing after a long day of riding. Kel had grabbed only the essentials; her weapons and a short supply of food. She was determined to reach Daine and Kaddar before they were in danger. She had made a commitment to protect them and she would see it through.

Dom scanned the campsite. _Someone's missing,_ he thought. Quietly, without announcing his exit, he got up and surveyed the perimeter. He headed north, guessing that Kel would have followed the direction leading to Daine and Kaddar. He glanced back, noting with satisfaction that the men around the fire were consumed in conversation and hadn't noticed his sudden absence.

Kel was beginning to despair, finding no sign of the missing Emperor and Wildmage. Kel stopped a moment, and looked around. She took a step back and stepped into an indent in the damp soil. She crouched down, and rejoiced at finding a hoofprint. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side and heard a loud "oomph!" and something thudded on the ground next to her. Startled, she quickly stood up, unsheathed her sword, and aimed it at the interloper.

"If this is how you treat your friends, I wouldn't want to be one of your enemies," Dom said cheekily, rubbing his side gingerly.

"Dom! What are you doing here?" Kel asked, lowering her weapon.

"I came to rescue you, fair maiden," Dom replied, smiling and bowing. Kel glared at him. "I see we're not in the mood for joking," Dom continued.

"Dom," Kel said tiredly, "go back to the camp."

Dom's face grew serious, and he gazed at Kel intently, causing her to fidget with the handle of her sword. "Kel, don't you think, as two mature adults, we should be able to talk about this?"

Kel looked down at her shoes. "This? What do you mean?"

Dom took a step closer to her. She could feel the warmth emanating from his body and could clearly smell the scent of pine. "Us."

Kel looked up, and cursed herself inwardly. His blue eyes held her gaze, but she forced herself to say, "I don't know what you mean."

"You can't deny that there's been tension between us for a long time. I've always cared for you, and I'm starting to think–"

Kel couldn't believe this was really happening. "Dom, you deserve a proper lady," she said, trying to convince him as well as herself. "I'm a knight, I have a duty to the Realm. We can't..." she trailed off.

To her surprise, Dom smiled. "Kel, to me, you put the 'lady' in lady knight." Despite herself, Kel giggled, but was cut off as Dom leaned in, cupping her cheek with his hand, and kissed her sweetly.

A moment later, Kel pulled away, smiling. "I do believe we still have a quarry on our hands. We'll talk about this later," she said jokingly.

Dom grinned at her. "Lead the way, Mother."


	14. Chapter 14

Jon paced the width of his chambers, scowling. His wife, Thayet, looked on impatiently.

"You know, I've been thinking. The city hasn't collapsed since the Jewel was stolen. The realm has held together, no one is revolting, there haven't been any droughts or earthquakes. In fact, the Jewel has caused nothing but heartache and worry," Thayet supplied helpfully.

"Other realms _have_ been vying for our power since acquiring it. My reign over Tortall has hardly been as peaceful as my father's." He sat. Thayet came up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"Why don't you contact Alanna or Numair?" Thayet suggested.

"But we fought so hard for the Jewel. It is a symbol of Tortall's might. Is it really wise to give it away so easily to some scoundrel of a stormwing? Think of all the trouble we'll have with other realms then."

"No one but your most trusted advisors other than Kaddar and Vergor Thunderstar know it's gone. Kaddar is a trusted ally. And I'm sure Daine can deal with Vergor Thunderstar. Maybe we can convince him to keep quiet if we let him keep the Jewel." Jon sat in silence for a moment before reluctantly reaching for his scrying glass.

* * *

Upon arriving, Numair immediately scanned the clearing for Daine. Finding her, he promptly rushed to her side. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked concernedly, all arguments forgotten.

Daine smiled appreciatively. "I'm fine, Numair, but perhaps we should deal with the matter at hand?" she said, readying another arrow.

"Right," responded Alanna, appearing at Daine's other side. "What about our Carthakian friend? Should I wake him up or keep him out of harm's way?" she asked, glancing over at the Emperor's unconscious form.

Numair nodded. "Daine and I have had practice with Stormwings," he replied, turning to face Vergor Thunderstar, who seemed to have regained his composure.

The Stormwing laughed derisively. "But were all those other Stormwings the gods' chosen?"

Daine snorted, "Why would the gods choose you?"

Thunderstar swooped down towards Daine who instinctively released her arrow. He used his metallic wing to deflect the arrow and landed in front of her. "If you're worthy enough to be the daughter of gods, am I not worthy enough to be their servant?"

Daine stepped back, confused. "How did you-" Taking advantage of her momentary puzzlement, the Stormwing reared back to strike. Focusing on his target, he failed to notice as Numair raised his arms, and a black ball of light blasted Vergor backwards into a tree, and he fell, momentarily unconscious.

"Thanks," Daine said shakily, glancing at Numair. He grabbed her hands.

"I'm so sorry. When all of this is over..."

"We'll talk," she said, smiling.

Meanwhile, Alanna focused her energies on reviving the unconscious Emperor. However, she was interrupted by a series of short sneezes. "Damn it! Don't tell me..." She looked around quickly, and was hardly surprised to see the glowing form of an impossibly beautiful lady. She sank into a bow.

"It's been a long time, Mother," she said respectfully.

"Yes, my daughter. I feel that currently, just as before, you and the realm of Tortall are in need of my guidance."

"How so?"

"I understand that once again you are on a quest for the Dominion Jewel. I ask you, what do you expect to gain from fulfilling your task?"

"The Dominion Jewel is Tortall's pride. Without the Jewel, Tortall faced many hardships."

"Haven't you been facing hardships since your original quest? The Immortals War, the war with Scanra, these were hardly problems during the time of the Peacemaker."

"So are you suggesting that perhaps the Jewel is more trouble than it's worth?"

The Goddess smiled. "Why don't you give the idea more thought?"

"If we give up the Jewel, Tortall will go into panic. We would be almost inviting other realms to attack us."

"A lack of the Jewel does not make you weak. You have many strong commanders and those who are willing to fight. You have a king who is not stupid and can be caring and diplomatic. In fact, giving up the Jewel may make you even stronger. Think on it, my daughter." The Goddess smiled as she faded away. As Alanna's eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, she decided she needed to talk to Jon. As she took out her scrying glass, his face appeared, surprising the both of them.

"Jon, right now we have everything a realm needs to be powerful, respected, and prosperous. What do we need the Jewel for if we have all of this already?" Alanna asked, ready to argue her point.

"I agree completely," Jon replied briskly.

"What?"

"I agree. Don't get it back. But, make sure the Stormwing keeps his silence. No one can know the Jewel is gone." Alanna, confused, watched the scrying glass go blank. She walked over to where Daine and Numair stood with the now conscious Kaddar. She quickly informed her companions of what needed to be done. Agreeing upon a course of action, the quartet walked over to where the unconscious Stormwing lay. Alanna unsheathed her sword and prodded him lightly. He came to slowly, taking in the sight of the four commanding figures looking down upon him.

"We're prepared to let you have the Jewel," Daine said calmly. "But you should know one thing first."

"Years ago I battled to attain the Jewel, so I understand the role as its guardian. You have a mighty task upon your hands."

Numair interjected, "You must maintain your vigilance over the Jewel. It can not be given up without a battle." The stormwing looked at the group of figures around him, thinking. "As the God's chosen, you must be very capable of handling this difficult job," Numair added. Vergor Thunderstar looked very pleased with himself. Numair winked at Daine and she grinned back at him. Kaddar observed this interaction with interest, but remained silent.

"Do you accept this responsibility bequeathed to you by the Gods themselves?" Daine asked the stormwing.

"I accept it, as it is obvious that I shall perform this task better than you mere mortals have," he replied smugly. Alanna quickly turned a laugh into a cough. "Look your last upon your precious Jewel." With the Jewel purse clutched in his talons, he flew up and out of the clearing, leaving Alanna, Kaddar, Daine, and Numair alone. As the four prepared to leave, two new figures approached the clearing.

"Did I just see a stormwing fly away from here?" Dom asked musingly. Kel looked flustered.

"Yes. Lead us back to camp. We could use a good rest and we'll explain the whole thing when we get there," Alanna said.

"What about the Jewel?" Kel asked concernedly. Dom easily slung an arm around her waist.

"Don't worry my lady. We've just been assured that an explanation is in order," Dom grinned. Kel playfully stepped out of his hold. Alanna watched them with amusement. Kel and Dom, at the lead, turned around and led the way back towards camp. As the others walked into the woods, Kaddar pulled Daine aside.

"I just wanted to let you know that I plan on going back to Carthak as soon as we arrive back at the palace."

"But you'll miss the ball. You deserve to be honored for your part in this adventure," Daine replied.

"I don't think you'll miss me," Kaddar said knowingly. "I've probably been away too long. Some young ambitious upstart might have usurped my throne!" Daine laughed.

"I'm sorry," she said, their eyes connecting. "Promise me you'll stay in touch."

"Promise me you will work things out with the one you love. I only want you to be happy." Daine blushed.

"Thank you."

"We should get back. I don't want to make a black robe angry with me!"

* * *

A/N: Alright guys. The end! WOOOOOO! Be expecting an epilogue to tie everything together. Hope you've enjoyed this fic of ours, it's certainly taken us long enough to finish! Thanks for reading and reviewing! 


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